A/N : Of course we can't have Sirocca hog the spotlight (thankfully, Myst is more accomodating). Sooner or later we gotta have something for the other human and Faunus in Team MSRL (MiStRaL, the classical wind Myst is named after).

But my question to myself was, what the heck do I write about (yes, I'm also prone to writer's block, thank you very much)?

My younger brother suggested a swordfight between Rou and Weiss. He pointed out, it's going to be a clash of two very different styles - pinpoint accuracy versus wide sweeps, evasion versus parrying, barrages against counterattacks, slashes against stabs.

And I thought to myself, why the heck not? Besides, I've been looking for a moderately-paced showdown... The more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me...

So here we go!

Before anything else (yes, I know, same old stuff, blah blah blah...) :

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN RWBY. CREDIT GOES TO (RWBYGOD) MONTY OUM AND ROOSTERTEETH.

Lights, camera, action!

Gentle breezes blew by, but the sensitive ears did not react. Eyes remaining shut, the Faunus boy did not even so much as twitch as the human girl incessantly poked the auditory organs above his head while he sat cross-legged under a tree, just outside the dorms. "Aw, c'mon Rou, you're no fun," Libby whined as she wiggled her pinky fingers lightly around the insides of the white-haired boy's fox ears. "Just a tiny one. Pleeeeeease?"

The answer came instantly. "No."

"Rooooou!" Libby pouted as she sat down, copying the cross-legged form taken by the bandanna-wearing Faunus boy in front of her. "Just one tiny twitch. Just one, and I promise I'll let you be. Pretty please?"

A few moments passed. "...No."

Libby's expectant face fell into a frown. "Whyyyyy?!" The human girl wailed, flipping onto her back and laying her head on the Faunus boy's lap. "But you're just sooooo cute when your ears twitch, I can't help it..."

"Libby." One of Rou's eyes cracked open, the green iris looking down at her red-brown ones. "Isn't poking my ears enough for you?"

The human girl merely grinned, then blew a raspberry at the Faunus boy while she reached up and played with his ears, which he didn't even bother avoiding. "Naaah, you're cute when you get all flustered."

At this, Rou's face took on a look of resignation, his shoulders slumping slightly. "The gods either must really hate me that much, or I'm just plain unlucky."

Both of his eyes popped open when he felt two hands gently caress his cheeks, tilting his face downwards. "Don't say that, Rou," the human girl whispered up to him with a sad look on her face. "I don't like it when my closest friend looks hurt." Libby's lips started to pull into a frown. "And I especially don't like knowing that I'm the cause of it."

The fox Faunus' face softened a bit. "Libby." He softly exhaled as he allowed the human girl to pull his face closer. "Whatever am I going to do with you."

The brown-haired girl merely traced a line from the forehead down to the tip of the fox boy's nose, gently tweaking it. "You already know the answer to that, you cute fur-Rou-ball."

Rou's brows drew together as the ears twitched. "Did you just call me that again, Libeccia?"

The only answer the white-haired boy got was a giggle and a quick kiss to the forehead, making him blush and twitch his ears once more.

"The more I look at them, the more they remind me of Ren and Nora," Weiss quipped as she set down her teacup, looking out the window and seeing Rou and Libby. She and three others - Velvet, Myst and Pyrrha - were discussing a joint team activity, suggested by Myst, and were planning to forward the suggestion to Professor Goodwitch later.

The other three glanced out the window as well, Pyrrha giving a slight smile while Myst was obviously lost. "I beg thy pardon, Miss Schnee, but... Canst thou enlighten me as to who Ren and Nora are? The names sound familiar... But I cannot place the faces in my mind..."

"They're my teammates, and they were with us when we accompanied you to the wharf," the redhead answered. "Ren was the boy with the black hair and wearing a green shirt, while Nora was the girl with the teal eyes and pink clothes."

Myst's smooth face crumpled to a frown. "Ah. Yes, I remember now. Nora was the one who blew a hole across the sides of the Jormurgandr with that warhammer of hers."

Velvet daintily drained her teacup and gently set it down. "Far be it from me to judge, but aren't the insides of ships hot and stuffy? It's possible Nora simply didn't want to take the effort to go all the way back up, or look for a window."

The flaxen-haired girl sighed. "Thou hath raised a valid point. The Jormungandr is truthfully stifling. 'Tis a wonder how its crew manages to suffer the heat. I shall have to bring that up with my father when I talk with him."

All four continued watching for a few more minutes. Myst grinned after a few moments, taking out her scroll and starting to furiously tap out a message. Velvet looked on curiously, while Pyrrha snickered as she made out the message. Weiss, who was sitting across Myst, crossed her arms, feeling left out. "And what was that exactly, just now?"

Myst was grinning, putting a finger to her lips and pointing out the window as she slid the device back to its compact form. "Hush. Watch them instead."

Curious, the Schnee heiress complied. Less than a minute later, two figures - one black and orange, the other one yellow - dashed past their window, and started singing. "Rou and Libby, sitting on a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-!"

The voices never got to finish singing. It turned out to be Yang and Sirocca, the latter now being chased by Libby - her pilebunker primed and ready - while the blonde brawler egged both on.

The brown-haired human girl was furiously blushing, screaming as she ran after the faster, black-haired tiger Faunus. "Oooh! Come back here, you oversized snooping cat!"

Yang had already stopped running and was yelling at the top of her lungs. "She's gainin' on ya tigress! Go faster!"

All four girls watching from the window were quietly snickering at the spectacle.

"Remind me to avoid accepting Myst's invitation if we ever meet and discuss anything again," Weiss coughed out as she tried to stop herself from laughing. They had already moved away from the window, and were already ending their short meeting.

"It wasn't so bad. Besides, everyone needs a little humor once in a while," Pyrrha offered kindly.

"If only all humans were as tolerant of Fauna as Myst or the brown-haired girl was, there would be less violence in Remnant," Velvet quietly sighed, half to herself, as the four turned a corner and headed towards the dorms' front door. "Sadly, what's done is done..."

"Veritably," Myst agreed. "All we can do is take what lessons the past has taught, and apply them to the present so the future shalt not repeat the past."

"And I just wish that the Faunus stop pinning the blame on my father's company for their misfortunes," Weiss retorted, her smooth brow creasing.

"Weiss, I don't think it's as simple as that," Pyrrha sighed as Velvet visibly shied further. "It's true that the White Fang is comprised of Fauna, but I don't think it's right to associate all Fauna with them."

"Then why don't they even try to enter into a dialogue?" Weiss glanced towards the redhead walking beside her, the heiress' countenance visibly darkening. "Father would've been open to discussion and suffer losing only a small amount of profit, rather than lose entire shipments in one go to those... Those animals."

Myst gently put a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "While I have no knowledge of the details, I wouldst advise that thou let all of it go. Thou only place greater risk upon thyself - "

Weiss rounded on the flaxen-haired girl, her eyes hard. "You don't get it. The White Fang has been at my father's company's heels and neck for the longest time now. Even until now, they haven't stopped doing their crimes... If you ask me, all this is bordering on terrorism already. They're putting not just the Schnee Dust Company's employees and business at risk, but also other innocent people."

Myst flinched slightly, gradually pulling back. "I understand. I shalt say no more, then."

They all went their separate ways upon exiting the front door. A pair of green eyes followed the white-haired girl's steps as she headed towards the landing pads.

For such a sunny day, the wind certainly didn't seem to want to be moving.

Normally she wouldn't have paid any attention to that tiny fact, but Weiss couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was following her, making her acutely aware of every little detail. It was almost as if she was being driven into paranoia.

After rounding a bend in the walkway, she quickly hid behind a tree and held her breath, awaiting whoever passed by next.

The white-haired girl barely stifled a scream of surprise as someone dropped in front of her.

Slowly standing to its full height, Weiss saw that the newcomer was a white-haired fox Faunus. Her brows drew together as she recognized him. "You... You're Rou, correct? What are you doing all the way out here?"

Rou yawned and pointed upwards. The heiress' blue eyes followed, and she made out the outline of a blanket. "You... You were sleeping here?"

The fox boy just nodded. "I swear, I will never understand you Faunus..." Weiss started to ease her breathing again and focus on the pathway, until she felt the very air go still for a few seconds.

"If I may be so presumptuous..."

The quiet, calm voice startled the blue-eyed Schnee heiress. She turned her head, seeing the white-haired Faunus admiring the rapier on her waist.

"Miss Schnee, I would like to have the honor of dueling against you."

Weiss' jaw slowly hung open. "I beg your pardon? I must have misheard you."

"I would like to duel against you." Rou's voice never faltered. It stayed the same low, even, cool tone. "If possible, one that goes all the way to the bitter end."

This time, Weiss caught the words and implications clearly. "Are you mad? Out of your mind? Do you wish to be kicked out early, not to mention the bodily harm that you might suffer?"

"I am aware."

Weiss still couldn't understand why she was being challenged to a duel. As if she had more time to think about such matters. "I will only accept a duel that is officially sanctioned by Beacon."

"If I told you now that your weapon is made of inferior worksmanship compared to mine, you would still refuse to fight. Is that not correct?"

The white-haired girl felt her eye twitch. Did he just call Myrtenaster inferior?! The nerve! "How dare you... Explain!"

Rou wasted no time doing so. "I can see that the blade itself is kept in pristine condition. The problem lies within the process on how the rapier was made. On their own, the edges are liable to break when strong impact reaches them." He pointed to the revolver chambers with his left hand, barely pausing. "Usage of Dust, by infusing the blade with one of several elements, provides an additional layer of protection from the blade chipping or breaking, though what will happen if the blade meets with a surface that sucks or negates Aura or Dust will be a big problem."

"Stop! I've heard enough!" Weiss' eyes were slits now. "I do not know how you seem to know, but I will not allow you to belittle my prized weapon-"

"... And on top of that you're not so great at stamina."

Weiss ground her teeth. If he was going to be an insufferable, suicidal idiot, then this will be an act of mercy to entire living population of Remnant. "Beacon Cliffs, one hour." She turned and stalked away, pausing slightly only to throw a glance at the fox Faunus over her shoulder. "I hope you know what you got yourself into."

Rou waited until the Schnee heiress was out of sight, before exhaling. "I do. I just hope you are prepared." He then tensed his legs, and leapt up to the branches.

As Weiss distanced herself farther, she felt the air move normally, as well as losing the paranoid feeling. Was it all her imagination?

"Rou... Was that really necessary?" A pair of hands gently played with the white-haired boy's fox ears. Libby's ministrations stopped as she looked worryingly into Rou's green orbs.

"No. But she needed a trigger. And the comparison between Futsuno and her rapier was the quickest option." He sighed, looking up the canopy of leaves again. After a few moments, Rou shifted his gaze into Libby's red-brown eyes. "You are afraid. Your eyes never lie."

Libby was quiet. "Of course I am," she whispered.

She was rewarded with a gentle smile and a playful tweak of her nose, courtesy of the white-haired boy whose head was on her lap, looking up to her red-brown eyes. "I am not going to be harmed. This is a mere test of her will. You're forgetting, I have Futsuno. Remember what it does."

The brown-haired girl chuckled, but her eyes showed no mirth. "Of course. Shall I tell Lady Myst?"

"... They probably already know." The Faunus boy got up, and planted a soft kiss on Libby's forehead. "Go, accompany Lady Myst. There is no need to worry about me. Just make sure no one interferes."

A strong gust of wind blew, forcing Libby to close her eyes and shield it from the wind. When it died down, the white-haired fox Faunus was gone.

Libby sighed and looked up to the canopy of leaves, whispering. "Rou... You're probably going to use it... But I trust that you won't let it control you, like it did to your grandpa."

Half an hour later, Libby, Sirocca and Blake landed on a sizable tree branch, while Ruby, Yang and Myst contented themselves on the ground. They were on an elevated spot overlooking the cliffs. "Just being here gives me flashbacks of flying through the air in initiation, " the blonde brawler quips as she stood with her hands on her hips, arching her back and taking a deep breath.

"There they are." Blake pointed to the clearing, where the Heiress approached the waiting Faunus.

Myst leaned against the tree, letting out a soft exhale. "And it begins."

The white-haired fox boy stood quietly, idly watching as Weiss came up closer.

Rou hefted his greatsword, holding it in front of him. "I am grateful for the opportunity you provided, Miss Schnee. I shall make sure it will not go to waste."

Weiss' eyes were narrow, calculating. "I am sorry for you, though. You may have just wasted an entire morning, as I don't see how you can even begin to scratch Myrtenaster's side." The revolver chambers clicked a few times, and a light blue hue started to wrap around the rapier.

The fox Faunus' face remained impassive. "Still, you have my thanks. At the very least, you should see what I am able to do."

Without warning, Rou sprinted forward, the massive blade held rather high, pointed towards Weiss. He's intending to stab, Weiss thought and instinctively moved to the side, avoiding Rou's charge. She reciprocated the attack and let loose six streams of light blue energy that seemed to home in on Rou's appendages.

The fox Faunus skidded and stopped the attack by flaring up his Aura and directing it to his blade, then slashing upwards, creating a wall of Aura. The six streams of light blue energy met with this wall, and dissipated to nothing, harming nothing.

The fox Faunus lowered his sword. "I hope you had prepared for a long duel, Miss Schnee." He lowered his blade again, then charged.

Instead of thrusting his weapon forward, Rou pivoted and slashed. Weiss backed a few steps, the greatsword's tip missing her by a foot. She took the chance as Rou was still spinning, leaning forward slightly and thrusting Mytrenaster forward.

Before she could connect, Weiss felt the jarring impact. Rou somehow had sensed the attack from behind him, and brought Futsuno up to block.

Weiss pulled her weapon back and prepared for another attack. Just as her rapier got within range, Rou took a step backwards and swung his greatsword, somehow making it spin around him.

Weiss glided away some distance, and waited as the spinning started to slow down. She gauged the moment to be enough, and dashed forward, rapier at the ready.

Rou's eyes locked onto the tip of the rapier, everything seeming to slow down. He knew Weiss was aiming for vital joints, to prevent him from moving effectively. Once she had sealed his movements effectively, that would be when Weiss would deliver the killing blow, the coup de grace.

The Faunus boy smiled to himself as he spun his upper body to avoid the blow, yet still get grazed slightly. To say that this would be a challenging duel is an understatement.

Weiss knew that wielding something as bulky as the greatsword Rou used would require an impressive amount of body strength, as well as dexterity and stamina. The white-haired fox Faunus certainly had all of it.

She had to admit that she was not looking forward to an unsanctioned duel. What if they got caught? Being injured was the least of her worries. What if they were found out and she was expelled from Beacon?

Weiss forced herself not to think of that. Right now was more important; it was clear that Rou intended to wear her down.

Also, what right had he to call Myrtenaster inferior?! It was an insult not just to her, but to the swordsmith who made the rapier! Did he not realize how much thought and planning went into the making of such a weapon?

How often do you see a blade - or any weapon, for that matter - that is designed to be wielded for swift, precise attacks, and at the same time allows usage of a variety of Dust crystals for added versatility? And not just one, but six crystals, loaded onto the revolving basket hilt chamber to allow even more options?

Couple all of that with her glyph semblance and Weiss' natural fluid grace, and you have yourself a potentially unstoppable fighter.

Weiss leaned to her left to avoid another powerful swing. She did admit that she severely lacked bodily strength to be able to contend with powerhouses such as Cardin or Yang. However, to the Schnee heiress, it wasn't about brute force; it's all about finesse, and accuracy.

She spotted a small opening and attacked, only to be met by the flat of the greatsword once more. If you are facing someone with enough brawns and with a decent level of intellect, things become complicated. Weiss stepped back as the greatsword dug into the space where she was a second ago. But at the same time, it's a refreshing change. So few swordfighters actually give me this much of a challenge.

The rest watched from their higher vantage point as Rou and Weiss battled, the fight dragging on to the sixty-minute mark. Neither human nor Faunus showed signs of fatigue, nor did one of them appear to gain the upper hand.

Sirocca chuckled while watching from atop her perch. "Oh man, she's going to get her arse whupped bad, I tell ya." She playfully elbowed Blake, who was sitting beside the tiger Faunus. The black haired girl merely replied with an annoyed glance.

Myst was smiling gently, but something sent a chill of foreboding down Ruby Rose's back. The scythe wielder turned to Yang, who was standing beside her with a tense look on her face. This doesn't look good at all. "Uh... What does she mean, Yang?"

The blonde just looked on intently. What's gotten into her? She normally isn't one to drag duels out like this. If Weiss keeps this up, someone will have to jump in and separate them...

Libby yawned, "Meh, Rou's dragging it out unnecessarily. Can't he just unleash Futsuno Mitama and get it over with?"

At the mention of the name, Blake's head whipped towards the brown-haired pilebunker-rifle wielder, her eyes going wide. "Did you just say... Futsuno Mitama? Isn't that the legendary sword that cleaves false gods?"

Now it was Myst and her team's turn to look at the black-haired Faunus girl. "H-how d'you know about that?" Sirocca was wide-eyed, completely surprised that one from outside of the Order knew about Rou's weapon.

Blake only nodded and turned her head to watch the two combatants again. "There are lots of legendary swords that are known by name, and quite a few are of oriental origin. The first name to come to mind is the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, also known as the Kusanagi no Tsurugi. However, common folk know it more by the name 'Sword of the Godslayer', or more simply as 'Kusanagi', which was supposedly wielded by the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu herself. Then there's the Futsuno Mitama, which was given by the storm god Take-Mikazuchi to the human Emperor Junmu, on Amaterasu's orders, to aid in his crusade against monsters which terrorized his country and positioned themselves as gods. There's also the Hi-no-kagutsuchi, which shared the name of a the minor fire god, the son of Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto."

The cat Faunus' fingers started tapping on the branch she was sitting on. "Of equal importance is the twin swords Honjou Masamune, which was said to be forged with peaceful intent, and its polar opposite Muramasa, made with nothing but the bloodiest wars in mind. It was also said that when both swords were placed in a swiftly-running river, all the floating leaves that touched the Muramasa were sliced at the barest contact, while all that approached the Masamune changed course and did not make any contact with the sword at all."

"You seem t'know an awful lot about swords, oh great ninja," Yang whistled, flipping her hair over her left shoulder. "'S that why you have a sword that's hidden in another sword? I guess that's what you'd call it hiding in plain sight."

Blake jokingly flicked a twig at Yang's upturned face, which the blonde easily avoided. "Me, a ninja? Hardly." A look that can be best described as a mix of curiosity, confusion and worry shortly crossed the cat Faunus' face. "But what I don't understand is how Rou has it... Wasn't it supposed to be lost a long time ago?"

Libby yawned and hung herself upside down, hooking her legs to the branch and gripping her feet with her hands. "That's what most people think. Rou's clan used to be treasure hunters, and were mostly successful in locating hidden hoards of riches and other valuables. They always failed when it came to the legendary swords, though."

Ruby's face showed curiosity. "Treasure hunters?"

The brown-haired girl tilted her head to face Blake, but answered the cloaked girl's question. "Yup. They got a lucky break one time. Of all the legendary swords, only the Futsuno Mitama was located and kept by Rou's ancestors. And when they joined the Order hundreds of generations ago, they brought the Futsuno as well."

Yang looked up at the brown-haired pilebunker wielder, hanging upside-down from a branch above her. "How do you know so much about him? When I comapre you two to Ren and Nora, you're... I dunno, closer, maybe?"

Libby flashed a smile down to the blonde and the cloaked girl. "That's 'coz I am going to be his wife, when the time comes."

A loud clang marked the end of a particularly furious exchange of blows, of which neither human girl nor Faunus boy were able to turn to their advantage.

Rou relaxed slightly, standing straight up and facing the flat of the greatsword to the white-haired girl. "Forged with the lost art of swordmaking, my blade is a testament to the swordsmiths of yore," he quietly said to the Schnee heiress, as if confiding a secret. "Soshu Kitae lamination, also known as the seven-layer lamination technique, provides the sword unparalleled rigidity and resistance to cracks. The cutting edges themselves, if you can see, contain the trademark wave of what was erroneously known as Damascus steel forging."

"Why are you telling me all this, when I don't even have an idea what you are talking about?!"

Rou shut off all Aura he was channeling through the blade. "If you have something that will protect your blade, use it now." The fox boy swung the greatsword behind him before sprinting forward, and slashed.

Weiss wasn't sure whether she should block or parry. The Faunus boy was closing in fast, and she noticed his shoulders tensing up further. At the last moment, she brought the rapier up and parried.

The greatsword clanged and changed path. Rou was expecting her to parry, and Immediately spun for a followup. Weiss leaned underneath the wide blade, and instinctively kicked when she noticed Rou's arm was within range. The fox Faunus stumbled backwards, but never lost grip. His mouth curved up into a smile as he stood straight, facing the Schnee girl squarely.

"As my thanks to you, please bear witness the legacy of the thirteen swordsmiths... Kiku-ichimonji." Rou shifted his hold and recited the names from memory, with eyes closed. "Norimune. Sadatsugu. Nobufusa. Kuniyasu. Tsunetsugu. Hisakuni. Kunitomo. Muneyoshi. Tsuguie. Sukemune. Yukikuni. Sukenari. Sukenobu."

As the last name left the fox Faunus' lips, his hold on the greatsword's pommel tightened. "I call upon the storm god's blessing. Take-Mikazuchi, guide my blade..."

The wind started to pick up around the two, storm clouds rapidly rolling in. Weiss glanced around, noticing the trees starting to sway with the wind and leaves starting to fly. Her eyes were finally drawn to Rou's arm - he seemed to be pulling the pommel away from the sword itself. "Why are you-?"

The white-haired girl's words were cut short as the Faunus finally succeeded. The sword's handle was now extended to three times its length. To her surprise, the sword's cutting edges seemed to - no, they actually did move away from the flat side.

What looked like a massive Aura blade formed from the gap, and extended to about a third of the blade's length.

Rou now shifted his hold and whirled the blade in his hands, the winds seeming to follow. "Futsuno Mitama, I release your binds. Obey my will."

"There it is." Libby's eyes were dreamy as the winds picked up around the combatants. "Rou finally let Futsuno loose."

Blake, Yang and Ruby all looked around, noting with worry the storm clouds and the winds picking up. Ruby was the first to speak up, worry in her voice. "Uh... Guys? Maybe we should go down and stop them now...?"

Myst put a hand up. "No need."

Yang made a step forward, only to be blocked by Myst's war staff. The blonde turned to the flaxen-haired girl, her eyes flashin from lilac to red, and back to lilac. "Myst, we have to stop them. We can't have both Rou and Weiss stay out here-"

"As I said, there hath no need for thee to worry thineselves." Myst used her free arm to point upwards. "Notice that the stormheads are only gathering where they art?"

Everyone looked up, and just as the flaxen-haired girl said, the dark clouds were only directly above Rou and Weiss. Blake turned to Sirocca. "Does that mean...?"

The tiger Faunus nodded. "Yup. That's Rou's semblance, all right."

Libby's eyes suddenly opened wide, a horrified expression on her face. "Rou, no! Not that!"

Before anyone could react, the brown-haired human girl had already vaunted down to the ground, her pilebunker rifle primed and ready.

She was making a beeline for Rou.

"Futsuno, heed my words." Rou lowered the greatsword, his Aura flowing again through his arms and into the blade. "Ved Jer Ven Nah: Hahjok Rah Al (1)."

Weiss braced herself. He's preparing for something big.

The fox Faunus changed his hold on the blade, pointing it behind him. Somehow, Weiss wasn't surprised to see him get propelled forwards like a rocket. At this point, it's going to be more practical for him to slash rather than stab. She set the revolver chamber to the red cartridge, and awaited the 'big one', as they called it.

True to expectations, it came. Just as Rou used his entire body weight and momentum to swing the massive Aura-boosted greatsword, Weiss' sight locked onto the pivot point and lunged, Myrtenaster homing in unerringly like a magnet.

Rou had anticipated all of this happening. At the last moment, he drove Futsuno to the ground, using the Aura blade to propel himself upward.

Weiss spun as her quarry launched himself into the air. She set the revolver chamber to yellow. This had gone on long enough.

Her next blow would be the last.

The airborne Faunus turned at the apex of his leap. Weiss appeared determined to end their little match. It's about time you decided, Miss Schnee. You've let so many chances slip past earlier. Again, he pumped his Aura to the blade, causing it to boost him downward.

The rapid descent nearly made him unconscious, as it always had. And it was also during times like this that his body acted purely on reflex.

However, this one time, he somehow retained consciousness. He was aware that Weiss parried his killer strike perfectly; he was conscious enough to remember Weiss' shocked reaction as the yellow Dust was absorbed by Futsuno. Rou was also aware of the sudden nauseating fluctuation of Aura in Futsuno. He knew this was not supposed to happen. Not yet, anyways.

Everything was moving slowly. Rou's eyes had little difficulty following the now out-of-control Aura blade in Futsuno. And he was sure, with how everything was positioned, Weiss would get her head cut off by the powerful blade, augmented by the Dust absorbed earlier.

True, he did ask for a duel to the end, but Rou never intended for either of them to actually face that end.

He had to do something. It would be very easy, at the rate things were happening - simply move Weiss, who was probably frozen in shock at seeing her Dust-powered parry get negated, out of the way so she doesn't get injured. Well, if that thing does cut my arm, at least it'll be proof that it's sharp.

Just as he started to move, Rou felt everything rapidly dimming. The last thing he remembered before blacking out completely was hearing Libby's voice, and reaching out to a girl with white hair, similar to his.

A few days later, Rou woke up with his arm in a sling, Libby sitting at his bedside. When he awoke, the brown-haired girl recounted that his last blow was perfectly parried by Weiss, but the Dust was still absorbed by Futsuno, rendering the counterattack harmless. The excess Aura in Futsuno, plus the Dust, caused the energy blade to fluctuate, nearly decapitating the Schnee heiress when the energy overloaded. In an effort to prevent any mishaps, Rou had hyperextended his arm and pushed Weiss out of harm's way, nearly getting his arm severed in the process.

Libby was leading the fox Faunus along the hallways, when Rou stopped. Libby followed the white-haired boy's glance, seeing no one else except Weiss Schnee holding a bouquet of white lilies.

The two stood waiting as the blue-eyed girl stepped closer. "Thank you," Weiss simply said, handing the bouquet to the injured Faunus boy.

"Thank me...? For what?" Rou asked, a bit puzzled, as he accepted the bouquet.

"For saving me. And I now owe you a duel."

Rou smiled, his fox ears twitching. "I shall hold you to that. However, allow me to change it to a tennis duel."

Libby, meanwhile, lost no time trying to reach for the twitching fox ears and playing with them, much to the Faunus boy's irritation and shame.

- Chapter Epilogue -

The sun was beating down mercilessly on the grassy field, where Weiss and Rou faced each other. Both were sweating heavily, taking deep lungfuls of air, while their teammates watched intently. Weiss was ignoring the crawling feeling spreading through her shins up her hips, while Rou kept on flexing his right hand.

Suddenly, the Faunus boy attacked.

Although Weiss could easily follow Rou's movements, she found that her body was starting to lag behind by half a second. Oh no, not now!

The Schnee girl pumped her legs as fast as her tired body will let her; she had to compensate for her body's delayed reaction. Thankfully her legs cooperated. Weiss counted herself blessed that she was able to return the attack.

What she didn't count on, however, were her legs giving out on her. Weiss realized this with horror as she tried to move back to her original spot, but remained standing where she was.

Rou skidded to a stop, poised to strike perfectly. My apologies, Miss Schnee. His arm swung, and Weiss closed her eyes to accept defeat.

However it was not meant to be. Rou's swing went wide and his hand lost its grip on the racquet, flying off into the post as he collapsed on the short grass, unconscious. The ball bounced once, twice, the rolled gently as it crossed the baseline before stopping.

Blake's voice broke the silence. "Game set and match. Winner is Weiss, three sets to two."

Weiss' legs finally gave out and she slid down to the grass, still breathing heavily, her racquet clattering on the ground; meanwhile Libby had immediately dragged Rou off into the shade and was currently fanning him, with Myst carrying a small wash basin with water.

A/N : Translation time!

(1) Black East Wind Fury: False God Destroyer

It *just* occurred to me that I still don't have a name for Myst's war staff... *facepalm*

Oh, and props if you identified the inspiration for Rou's "signature move" with Futsuno. Extra props if you identified where the name came from.

I admit I had some inspirations - first, Battle Moon Wars for the idea behind Futsuno Mitama (that should've been plainly obvious). Also, don't mind the Masamune and Muramasa thing; it was on Wikipedia so I thought I'd give it a try.

Yeah, there are also legendary swords in the western world - who hasn't heard of Excalibur? Or the Joyeuse? Or maybe Gram? Gugnir? Caladbolg? Claiomh Solais? Tyrfing? The only reason I didn't put them in is to isolate the hint about Rou's origins.

Maaaaaaan, I know this chapter kinda sucked... Scratch that, it REALLY sucked. Oh well.

I'mma make it up on the next one, promise.

Next chapter's sneak preview:

The tiger girl pulled out a sheet of paper from her pocket and gave it to the human girl. "Think ya can make me a wicked set of beats?"

Libby pored over the paper handed to her. "Hmm... You want a steady, flashy or heavy beat?"

Sirocca grinned. This was working better than she had thought! "I'll let ya pick. Hell, even combine all three if ya want, I'm gonna go get Mud-Eater and see if I can get her to drop us some equally wicked bass."